Nokia is plotting a return to the consumer market inspired more by a hovering robotic sphere from Star Wars than its once dominant smartphones business, with an unexpected shift into virtual reality.
The Finnish technology group will on Wednesday reveal plans to enter the market for virtual reality games and entertainment with the world’s first real-time professional production equipment to make immersive films, TV and games.
The spherical Ozo camera will be the first in a portfolio of media equipment and services. “This is the rebirth of Nokia, which we have seen so many times in its 150-year history,” said Ramzi Haidamus, president of Nokia Technologies, the company’s Silicon Valley-based unit.